System for transferring freight and baggage.



M. U. BBRNHBIM.

SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING, FREIGHT AND BAGGAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4. 1914.

1 1 24,270, Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS co PHOTOVLITHOH WASHINGTON. D. c,

M. U. BERNHEIM. SYSTEM FOR TRANSPVERRING FREIGHT AND BAGGAGE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4,, 1914.

1, 1 QQQTQQ Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

M. U.' BERNHEIM.

SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING FREIGHT AND BAGGAGB.

APPLICATION FILED mum, 1914.

1, 124,270. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE. NOHRIS FETERfiUIh. rmll'O-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. 6

euro. 1

MORRIS U'. BERNHEIM, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ALVEY-FERGUSON COMPANY, OF OAKLEY, CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SYSTEM TRANSFERIRING FREIGHT AND BAGGAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12,1915.

Original application filed- August 10, 1910, Serial No. 575,511. Renewed June 4, 1914, Serial No. 843,092.

Divided and this application filed June 4, 1914.

ToaZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS U. BER HEIM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamiltonand State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Systems for Transferring Freight and Baggage, of which the following is a specification.

This application is a division of my application Serial Number 575,511, filed Aug.

. for house or ware house, forexample.

It has for one of 1ts ob ects the provision,

of a system of the class described, embody ing means for transferring the carriers upon and between a plurality of different levels, with provision for diverting the carriers from the transferring means at any one of a number of different places 011 either of the before-mentioned levels, and moving the same adjacent to cars which are to be unloaded or loaded, or to storage places, the elements cooperating to produce a system for mechanically handling freight and baggage which will be thoroughly practicable for the purposes intended and the installation and use of which will result in material and important economies in the handling of freight and baggage at railway junctions, stations and terminals, and at other places at which it may be employed.

There are other purposes and advantages which need not be explicitly referred to herein but which will be understood by those familiar with the present systems of handling freight, etc, in railway yards and terminals.

The several objects of the invention are well accomplished by the system illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which drawings however are to be taken merely as illustrative, as far as possible within the terms of the appended claims, of the preferred form of my invention, selected to exemplify an embodiment thereof which will very satisfactorily attain the purposes of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is asectional Serial No. 842,996.

view of one of the inclined sections of the tem at the junction of a conductor and the main and switch lines, particularly intended to show the driving connections between said parts; Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the inclined section of the system, taken on the line 6-6 ofFig. 3, for example; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of said truck upon an inclined section of the system, employed to elevate the same from the lower way to the upper way.

The same characters of reference designate the same parts in the several views.

In the system to which the present invention particularly relates, freight or baggage is transferred upon suitable wheeled carriers, as A, which are suitably arranged to be propelled along either of a plurality of floors, as A and A of a railway transfer house, freight shed, warehouse or other suitable place where an invention of the present character may appropriately be used, and which carriers are moved from one floor to the other by means of one or more inclined endless conductors, as C, which extend from one floor to the other, through an opening or openings C in the upper floor.

Each carrier may be an ordinary four wheel truck, modified to adapt it for use in the present system, as the one herein exemplified, or it may be of any other suitable construction, several of which have been shown in applications for patents filed by me and pending concurrently herewith.

The system in practice includes, preferably, upon each floor means for propelling the carriers thercover, the said means comprising a main line on each floor, tapped at intervals by appropriately arranged branch lines and the inclined endless conductor or main line and deliver it to the other. T he main and branch lines referred to may be of any suitable kind, such, for example, as those indicated in my renewal application Serial Number 843,092 'hereinbefore identilied, and need not be particularly herein set forth, but I have shown the part of one form of main line adjacent a conductor and will hereinafter refer to the same in order that each platform is composed of a series ofspaced slats 1, the ends of which are connected to links of endless chains 2 of suitable construction. These chains pass over sprockets 3 and 4, the sprocket 3 being mounted atthe base and the sprockets 1 at the top of the elevator. At the center of the elevator, between the platforms 0, there is a longitudinal channel 5 in which travels an endless chain. 6 having upwardly projecting lugs 7 (Fig. 1) at proper intervals. This chain engages sprockets 8 and 9, the former of which is located at the'base of the elevator in advance of the sprockets 3, while the sprocket 9 is arranged at the top of the elevator rearward of the sprocket 4. The sprockets 3 and 8 are arranged in approximately the same horizontal plane and the sprockets 4 and 9 similarly are substantially horizontally alined, in order that the receiving and delivering portions of the elevator will be approximately horizontal, the

inclination commencing at a point near the base of the elevator rearward of the sprocket 3 and terminating at a place near the top of the elevator in advance of the sprocket 1.

,These horizontal portions of the elevator also are level with the floors or ways A and A respectively, whereby the carriers may be run onto and off from the elevator with ease and without shock.

The slats 1 are sufliciently spaced apart and preferably have their confronting faces so beveled as to provide between them trans versely extending spaces 1 (Fig. 7) conforming in a measure to the curvature of the wheels'of the truck A and forming pockets in the platforms which receive the lower portions of said wheels and restrain movement of thetruck upon the platform while the truck is being moved in an inclined plane. Each truck or carrier A has a projecting element a, arranged to engage anyone of the lugs 7 of the chain 6 while the truck is being elevated or lowered, which will further restrain relative movement between the truck and movable platforms. The frame of the elevator is preferably composed of angle irons as shown in. the several figures. These irons are suitably connected with each other and are relatively so disposed as to provide a strongly braced and yet light frame of inexpensive construction. A most desirable construction of frame, effectively supporting the several moving parts of the elevator, is particularly shown in. Fig. 6. This comprises a pair of longitudinal angle irons 10 and 11 arranged at different vertical planes at each side of the frame. The ends of these irons 10 are riveted to straps 12 which are suitably arranged along the length of the frame at each side thereof. liorizontally disposed transverse angle irons 13 and 14 are arranged along the length of the frame. The angle irons 13 support the irons 10, and have their ends riveted to the straps 12. Each angle iron 10 forms a'track or way for the operating run of the adjacent sprocket chain 2 and each angle iron 11 similarly forms a track or way for the returning run of the adjacent chain. Angle irons 15 and 16 provide similar tracks or ways for the two chains 2 which are located near the longitudinal center of the elevator. These angle irons are so disposed that they also form the channels 5 hereinbefore referred to, and the upper ones (15) have inwardly extending edges 15 which close the mouth of the channel to an extent which admits the elements a of the truck thereto and at the same time restrains lateral movement of said element. The channels '5 are each provided with a plate 17 which extends longitudinally of the frame and forms a track for the chain 6. The chains 2 and 6 are preferably provided with rollers 20 in order to lessen the friction of their movement, and

these rollers travel upon the tracks already referred to. I

Suitable means should be provided at the junctions of the horizontal and inclined sections of the elevator for guiding the chains at these places. This means may desirablybe composed of irons or straps such as-is indicated at 21 in Fig. 1. Suitable supports for the base and top of the elevator will also be provided. The support at the base may be composed of any suitable arrangement of legs 22 as shown in Fig. 1, while the support for the top will preferably be composed of a frame 23 having connected elements which depend from the frame proper and are engaged by one or more hangers 2% secured to a beam or beams of the upper floor.

The sprockets 3, 4, 8 and 9 are mounted on shafts 25, 26, 27 and 28, respectively. In thepresent exemplified form of the iii-- vention the sprockets 4 and 9 are the driving sprockets of their respective chains 2 and 6.

Referring now to the means of, the main line B for propelling the trucks or carriers along a floor or way A." or A to and from ill the conductor C: it is preferred to employ for this purpose an endless traveling chain, a part of which is indicated at 40 in Figs. 3 and 5, the said chain being arranged below the floor or way and having suitably spaced upwardly projecting lugs 41 (Fig. 5) arranged to be engaged by the depending projection a of the carrier, said floor or way having a channel I) through which the projection a extends.

It is preferred to drive the chains 2 and 6 of the conductor from the endless chain 40 of the main line. A convenient gearing for this purpose is shown, the said gearing comprising a shaft 29, suitably supported in bearings 30 at the driving end of the conductor and provided with beveled gears 31 and 32 which respectively are intermeshed with beveled gears 33 and 34; mounted on the shafts 26 and 28, respectively; a beveled gear 35 mounted on the shaft 29 and a beveled gear 36 which is mounted on a vertical shaft 37 having a sprocket wheel 38 arranged to be engaged by the chain 40 of the main line B.

Upon reference to Fig. 4, it will be noted that there is a branch line B leading from the main line B to the inclined conductor, a switch point Z2 being arranged at the junction of the two lines and being adjustaable by suitable means to break the continuity of the main line and open communication of the same with the branch line when it is intended to divert a carrierfrom the main line and deliver it to the conductor over the branch line. This branch line includes a way for supporting the carrier in its passage between the main line and the conductor C, the said way being shown as a part of the floor A, and an opening 6 is provided in this way to receive the carrier-element a and within which the latter may travel to the chain 6 of the conductor.

It will be observed that the chain 6 of the conductor C is horizontally prolonged beyond the moving platforms at the receiving and delivering ends of the conductor. Vhile I have herein shown a main line and branch line (or switch) only at the upper end of the conductor, it will be understood that in practice there is a similar main line and branch line (or switch) at the lower end of the conductor. The horizontally prolonged. portions of the chain 6 in practice are so arranged as to be in line with the openings of the branch lines and preferably in line likewise with the chains 40 of the respective main lines, so as to form continuations thereof, so to speak, as indicated with reference to the upper end of the conductor, in Fig. 4: whereby a carrier which has been switched from the main line toward the receiving end of the elevator may be automatically picked up by a chain 6 of the latter and moved thereby to the moving platforms, and, similarly, a carrier leaving the delivering end of the conductor and which has been switched onto the main line may be automatically picked up by the chain LO of the latter and moved to its destination. In order to reduce the shock due to a sharp and sudden impact of a lug of the chain 6 with an element a of the carrier it is preferred that the portion of the way between the chains 6 and 40 (that is to say, the branch line B be free from propelling means and that this portion be of such length that a carrier thereon will have lost its momentum when it has reached the place at which it is to be picked up by a lug of the chain 6 or a lug of the chain 40, according to whether the carrier is moving to or from the conductor.

If desired, the engagement of the carrier with the propelling means of the main lines and conductor may be effected manually, instead of automatically.

It will be understood that in practice a series of trucks or carriers will preferably be employed and that there will also be a conductor or conductors for carrying the carriers downward and a separate conduc tor or conductors for carrving the carriers upward, and that the conductors will be correlated with main lines on the several floors, preferably having branches or switches at appropriate intervals, suitably arranged to serve the needs of particular installations, which needs may vary, as is apparent.

Each truck or carrier A is provided at that end thereof which is at the front in the automatic transfer of the trucks, with the element a hereinbefore referred to as being the one which engages the projections from the traveling propellers. This element is shown here as an arm or bar pivotally mounted between its ends on the axle 60 of the truck and provided with an adjusting arm 61 which is pivoted thereto at a point below the axle and extends thence to the cranked portion 62 of a crank shaft 63. This shaft is mounted in bearings 63 depending from the platform 64 of the truck and is provided with an operating lever or handle 65, the said lever or handle being arranged to raise and lower the lower end of said arm into and out of the position in which it engages the propeller. The other end of the truck is provided with a suitably mounted guide wheel 66 having a circumferential flange 66 which runs in the several channels of the main and branch lines and conductors, hereinbefore referred to. Its portions 66 on opposite sides of the channels run on tracks 71 preferably formed by angle irons set flush with the floor or way adjacent to said channels.

The truck A herein shown is of a four wheel type and it is adapted in use to be automtaically propelled by the means herein described or to be manually operated in the transfer of goods between the propelling system and storage places or between the propelling system and cars, for example. When manually operated the end thereof which in Fig. 7 is shown at the left hand is the forward end. When automatically propelled, this is the rear end. Thus, in the automatic propulsion of the device, the power is applied to the front end of the truck, where it is most eflectively utilized. The handles 72 used for the manual propulsion of the trucks are secured to arms 72 projecting from the bolster of the truck. This particular truck is not essential to the present invention and need not be more particularly described herein.

It will be understood that when the truck is to be manually propelled the lug or projecting element a will be elevated in order to clear the floor and will be held in such position by a catch 65* engaging the lever or handle 65. WVhen the truck is being mechanically propelled its handle 72 will be held in upright position by a suitable catch 72 The element a-is engaged with a spring buffer 77 whereby its engagement with a lug of the propeller chains may be effected without shock.

A series of small guide rollers 82 (Fig. 7 for the main line propellers are preferably arranged at the places where the main line bends, to extend around the elevator or lowerer.

From the foregoing, the operation of my system will be clearly understood and it will be seen that I have provided a system wherein trucks, adapted to be manually propelled in an ordinary way are also adapted to be automatically propelled in a systemwhich enables them to be carried be tween cars of the same or different trains, or between cars on one side of a transfer shed and others on the other side thereof, or between cars and places of storage on either of a plurality of different levels.

The several main lines being flush with the floor or way offer no obstruct on to the free passage of trucks across the latter and the entire system leaves available for storage and operating purposes a maximum amount of floor space.

While I have described the invention with reference to the loading and unloading of railway cars, it is to be understood that it may be used for double decker docks or piers, and in other than these mentioned places, all of which are intended to be covered by the subjoined claims.

Having now described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier and means for conveying the same from one elevation to another,

comprising a platform which travels in an inclined plane and is provided with flexibly connected slats having pockets between their confronting faces adapted to receive the lower portions of the carrier-wheels.

2. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier and a movable platform for transferring the carrier from one level to another, said platform traveling in an inclined plane and having spaces which receive the wheels of the carrier and restrain movement of the latter thereon, each of said spaces extending below the plane of the surfaces of the portions of the platform on opposite sides thereof.

3. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier, an endless traveling platform for transferring the carrier from one level to another, said platform having its upper surface approximately parallel with the inclined plane of travel of the platform, and means for preventing movement of ti carrier on the platform while the latter is traversing its inclined course.

4. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier, having a pendent projection, a platform movable in an inclined plane and adapted to support the carrier and means movable with the platform and adapted to engage said projection and restrain relative movement of the carrier and platform.

5. In a system of the class described. a wheeled carrier having a pendent projection, an inclined frame, having a channel, a movable platform carried by the frame and adapted to engage the wheels of the carrier, and an endless traveler in said channel, adapted to engage the piojection from the carrier.

6. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier having a pendent projection, an inclined frame, having a plurality of movable platforms arranged on opposite sides of its transverse center and a channel between said platforms, and an endless traveler in said channel adapted to engage the projection from the carrier.

7. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier having a pendent projection, a frame having an inclined portion provided with a longitudinal channel, transverse shafts at the base and top of said frame, sprocket wheels arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the channel at the base and top of the frame, chains engaging said wheels, slats carried by said chains and adapted to engage the wheels of the carrier, sprocket wheels at the ends of said channel, and chains engaging the latter wheels and adapted to be engaged by the pendent projection from the carrier.

8. In a system of the class described. a wheeled carrier having a pendent projection, a frame having an inclined portion provided with a longitudinal channel, transverse shafts at the base and top of said frame, sprocket wheels arranged in pairs at opposite sides of the channel at the base and top of the frame, chains engaging said wheels, slats carried by said chains and having beveled confronting faces relatively arranged to hold the wheels of the carrier, sprocket wheels at the ends of said channel, and chains engaging the latter wheels and adapted to be engaged by the pendent projection from the carrier.

9. In a system of the class described, a pair of endless traveling platforms which move in an inclined plane, an endless traveling means between the edges of the same, and means for moving the platforms and endless traveling means simultaneously.

10. In a system of the class described. a pair of endless traveling platforms which move in an inclined plane and have interrupted surfaces whereby they are adapted to hold the wheels of a wheeled carrier, an

endless traveling means between the edges of the platform adapted to engage the carrier, and means for moving the platforms and endless traveling means simultaneously.

11. In a system of the class described, a pair of endless traveling platforms which move in an inclined plane and have interrupted surfaces whereby they are adapted to hold the wheels of a wheeled carrier, an endless traveling means between the edges of the platform adapted to engage the carrier, and means for moving the platforms and endless traveling means simultaneously, said endless traveling means extending in an approximately horizontal direction beyond the receiving and delivering ends of the platform, for propelling the carriers to and from the same.

12. In a system of the class described, a pair of endless traveling platforms which simultaneously move in an inclined plane, side by side, and a carrier-propelling means operating in an approximately horizontal direction to and from the receiving and delivering ends of the platform and traveling in an inclined plane from one end to the other of the platforms.

13. In a system of the class described, a pair of endless traveling platforms which simultaneously move in an inclined plane, side by side, and a carrier-propelling means operating in an approximately horizontal direction to and from the receiving and delivering ends of the platform and traveling in an inclined plane from one end to the other of the platforms, said platforms having interrupted surfaces for holding the wheels of a wheeled carrier, and said propelling means having elements to engage the carrier at a place between the wheels of the latter, for moving the carrier to and from the platforms.

14. In a system of the class described. an endless traveling platform which moves in an inclined plane and has an interrupted surface for the reception of the wheels of a wheeled carrier, and traveling means, leading to and from the receiving and delivering ends of the platform and having devices adapted to engage the carrier and propel the same.

15. In a system of the class described, a platform having slats provided with beveled confronting faces relatively disposed to hold the wheels of a wheeled carrier, traveling means adjacent to the platform, for engaging the carrier, and supporting and operating means for the platforms and traveling means, adapted to move the same simultaneously in an inclined plane.

16. In a system of the class described. an endless traveling carrier-propeller, which traverses a path that is approximately horizontal at the ends and inclined between said ends. a moving platform which traverses an inclined path adiacent to the inclined portion'of the propeller, said platform having means for restraining movement of the carrier thereon and said propeller extending beyond the ends of the platform and moving the carrier to and from the same.

17. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier and means adapted to transfer the same from one level to another, comprising an inclined movable platform for supporting the carrier and means which moves with the platform and is engaged by the carrier at or below the plane of the surface of the platform.

18. In a system of the class described, a wheeled carrier and means adapted to transfer the same from one level to another, comprising an endless platform which moves in an inclined plane, and an endless traveling means which moves with the platform and is arranged at or below the surface of the latter, said carrier and means having interengaging parts.

19. In a system of the class described, means for transferring a wheeled carrier from one level to another having an inclined conductor provided with a traveling platform, and a driving mechanism therefor provided with an endless traveling means adapted to propel the carrier toward or from the conductor.

20. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to transfer a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising an endless traveling platform having an interrupted surface adapted to engage the wheels of the carrier and restrain movement of the same on the platform.

21. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to transfer a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising an endless traveling platform comprising spaced slats with beveled confronting edges, chains carrying the slats and sprockets over which the chains run.

22. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted'to move a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising an endless traveling platform having an interrupted surface adapted to engage the wheels of the carrier and means whereby the platform travels a path having approximately horizontal ends and an inclined intermediate part merging into the ends.

23. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to move a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising an endless traveling platform having an in- I terrupted surface adapted to engage the wheels of the carrier, means whereby the platform travels a path having approximately horizontal ends and an inclined intermediate part merging into the ends, and traveling means extending along said path and beyond the ends thereof, for en gaging the carrier.

24. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to transfer a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising a plurality of endless traveling platforms arranged side by side, and an endless means which travels therewith and is arranged between the edges of the same.

25. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to transfer a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising a plurality of endless traveling platforms arrangedside by side, means whereby these platforms simultaneously traverse a path having approximately horizontal ends and an inclined intermediate part merging into the ends, and traveling means extending along said path, between the edges of the platform and beyond the ends of the latter, for engaging the carrier.

26. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to transfer a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprisinga plurality of endless traveling platforms arranged side by side, means for supporting and guiding the same, including a frame having a channel between the edges of the platforms, and an endless means which travels in said channel and is adapted to engage the carrier.

27. In a system of the class described, a conductor adapted to transfer a wheeled carrier from one level to another, comprising a plurality of endless traveling platforms arranged side by side, a guiding and supporting means therefor arranged to cause the same to traverse a path having approximately horizontal ends and an intermediate inclined part which merges into said ends, including a frame having a channel between the edges of the platforms, and an endless means which travels in the channel and is adapted to engage the carrier, said means extending beyond the ends of the platforms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS U. BERNHEIM. Witnesses:

RUSSELL L. (1001:, E. A. GARTTMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of IPatents. Washington, D. G. 

